GOVERNMENT agencies and local governments rushed water, rescue teams and millions in aid to northern Cebu on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, a day after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the province.
Why it matters: The swift, multi-pronged response aims to stabilize the region, prevent price gouging and address immediate survival needs like water for thousands of residents in the hardest-hit areas of Bogo City and San Remigio.
By the numbers
P2.3 million: Aid Lapu-Lapu City will donate to five northern Cebu local governments.
68: Rescue and fire personnel deployed by Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue cities.
60 days: The length of the price freeze on basic goods, LPG and kerosene.
Five: People who sustained minor injuries in Cebu City.
Go deeper: Key relief efforts are underway across the province.
Price freezes: The Department of Trade and Industry and Department of Energy imposed price freezes to protect households from price shocks. “Stability of fuel prices and availability of supply are vital in times of disaster,” said Energy Secretary Sharon Garin.
Water supply: The Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) and Manila Water deployed multiple water trucks to Bogo City and San Remigio. The potable water is being sourced from a treatment plant in Carmen.
Local aid: Lapu-Lapu City sent a 48-person search and rescue team to Bogo. Mandaue City dispatched its 20-member Humanitarian Emergency Assistance Response Team, equipped with a water filtration system and retrieval equipment.
Damage assessment: In Cebu City, portions of the City Hall legislative building ceiling collapsed. Mayor Nestor Archival is organizing volunteer engineers to inspect schools and other structures, as the Cebu City Medical Center’s upper floors remain closed.
Church closures: The Archdiocese of Cebu ordered parishes to remain closed until cleared by engineers. The hardest-hit churches included Santa Rosa de Lima Parish in Daanbantayan and Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol in Bantayan Island.
While Cebu City was largely spared from major destruction, a significant collaborative relief operation is now focused on the recovery of northern Cebu municipalities. / KOC, DPC, EHP, JPS, ABC